If the Dead Could Speak
by Jayne Foxx
Summary: The image of a hauntingly beautiful young woman is at the forefront of Klaus's mind, and he can't quite shake off the feeling that he may have buried affections for her. When Elijah arrives with urgent news that Klaus's potential new love interest may have been involved in an accident, he has no choice but to follow his heart. Klaus/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

**A/N: Hello everyone! This is Lexi Salvatore-Foxx here and this is the beginning of a fic written for my wonderful co-writer :) She's been such an amazing friend and I doubt this'll be as good as Inner Demons (read it, it's incredible), but I can try! Hope you all enjoy this small prologue, and I'll keep you all posted :) Please follow, favourite and review! It'd really make my day x**

Love. Grief. Remorse. These were things he hadn't felt in a long time. Genuine beauty. Something he hadn't seen in nearly as long, but here it stood before him at the forefront of his mind.

Paintbrush in hand, he let each colour blend together in a unique dance of raw emotion, letting each stroke convey a secret that resided deep inside him and he found that he couldn't stop once he had begun. Her face, though only seen ever so briefly, had engulfed his thoughts, and he knew that perhaps he could be saved, because he knew he could _love_ again.

The image was beginning to take place on what was once a blank sheet of white, and now fair olive skin took over the surface, framed by long and dark hair cascading down the figure's shoulders. Hazel eyes stared back out at the artist, and the dimming light from the busy city below surrounded the piece of art in a haunting yet dauntingly beautiful quality.

What really caught the eye of the observer, however, was the silver necklace that hung just below her collarbone and the symbols that lay upon were etched in a charcoal black. They were no symbols the man had ever seen before, yet they stood out so clearly in his mind, just as her face had when they fleetingly passed each other during the day's midsummer afternoon.

An angel had been looking down upon the lonely vampire that mid-morn, and had granted him the opportunity to love once more. He couldn't tell if it was an action to be defined as cruel, or a golden opportunity to redeem his blackening heart.

Startled from his reverie, Klaus turned around, paintbrush still in hand, palette now empty, and easel now full. The door had creaked open ever so silently and tentatively that the old Original would have nearly missed it if it weren't for his heightened senses and overindulged paranoia.

"Where are your manners, brother? Haven't you been taught to knock?" His tone was laced with annoyance, and it was poorly covered up. This didn't go unnoticed by Elijah, but the older brother's urgency far surpassed his need to retort Klaus's sarcastic comment.

"Niklaus, there's been an accident on St. Claude Avenue, and I do believe this woman you drew may have been involved."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One **

**A/N: Sorry for the incredibly late update! It's also incredibly short and I apologize for that too, but my senior year of high school has been insanely busy and I haven't had much time to do much of anything, but thankfully we're on break for a week or two now I can hopefully get some more out for you guys in these next couple of weeks. Please enjoy what little I have written for you guys, and it's a little bit rushed, but I just wanted to get you all something to read while you wait for the next lot, which will DEFINITELY be a much longer chapter :) Please enjoy, follow, favourite and review! They all mean so much and really encourage me to write more in the future :)**

**Love,**

**Lexi Salvatore-Foxx 3**

The sun had now completely set on New Orleans as the old Original vampire turned right and onto St. Claude Avenue. What met his eyes was absolute catastrophe, and he wondered how anyone or any_thing_ could have survived what was the biggest vehicle accident he had ever seen in his thousands of years of existence.

A large semi truck was keeled over sideways on top of a number of smaller cars, an assortment of wheels and metallic fragments that once belonged to a whole. He could smell the acute tang of freshly spilt blood, hundreds of innocent drivers now wounded beyond repair.

Klaus had arrived up the scene first, his older brother arriving moments later.

Squelching his surprise and his odd admiration for whoever caused such an accident, he turned to Elijah and smiled, feigning amusement. "Am I here for the food, brother?"

"So you're telling me, Niklaus, that you're not expressing an ounce of concern for the city that you now rule?" Giving him a brief sidelong glance, Elijah reached out to the first man he saw – a police officer – and swiftly gathered all the information he could about the situation at hand without using compulsion. Regrettably, however, it had to be done. Another vampire, presumably the one who caused such mayhem, had previously compelled the vast majority of living officers and pedestrians in the area, and finding a lead was becoming a large ordeal the two Original brothers were hesitant to take.

"You believed this to be big enough to distract me from my artwork? I expected more from you, Elijah." The clock had ticked forward one hour since the two arrived upon the scene, and they had grown weary of interrogating person after person. Their only conclusion was that the compulsion the witnesses had been put under was incredibly strong, even for a standard vampire, and Klaus felt a small pang of worry cross his mind. He wasn't concerned for the well being of the others in this city – _no_, he wouldn't worry about them– but he was concerned for the city itself. It was his kingdom, and he treated as such, pampering it like a lover and defending it with his life should it come down to it.

The hybrid knew who he was looking for. He was looking for the face he drew in his painting, a face that was now etched permanently into his mind.

Fair olive skin framed by long and dark hair cascading down the figure's shoulders, hazel eyes staring back. A silver necklace that hung just below her collarbones with symbols that still remained mysterious and undecipherable. He had seen her before, passing her on the street one day in the city. At the time, he hadn't given her a second thought, after this day, he was beginning to think she was more powerful and more of a threat than he even thought possible.

Worst of all, though, was he didn't even know where to begin looking. New Orleans was a large city, full of twists and turns even he hadn't discovered. He found himself mapping out all the districts in his mind, prepared to draw a physical map of the quarters if he must. He would find her.

He was slightly taken aback by his own obsession with this strange girl. He'd never even met her.

His reverie was broken by the sound of sirens echoing through the city's alleyways, finally arriving hours too late to save the lives of the now deceased citizens of New Orleans. Klaus could fast smell the scent of already decaying bodies, roasting in the heat of their vehicles.

He wondered if she was one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two **

**A/N: Hey guys! Another quick update for you all :) I've come to the conclusion that while I'm on holidays I'll be posting updates more frequently but they'll be shorter chapter so you won't have to wait as long. When school starts again though it'll probably be a longer wait but longer chapters as well :) I hope you enjoy this one, because I think the plot will really start moving along after this. I have a lot of ideas ready, so hopefully I can execute them right. Anyways, I won't bother you all anymore :) Please favourite, follow and review. They all mean a ton and give me with the motivation to continue. **

**Love, Lexi Salvatore - Foxx :) x**

Blinking her eyes open blearily, Cara took in her surroundings. She seemed to be in a warehouse of sorts, crate upon crate stacked up against the walls. The air was musty and thick with dust and heat, old mildew lining the cracks in the floor with an odor unlike that of a rubbish truck. Sitting up stiffly, she rubbed her neck subconsciously. She could still feel a faint ache where crusted blood lined what she assumed was a bite wound…she couldn't really remember much. Her memories of the past few hours were hazy, and she was beginning to give herself a headache just trying to recall what she had for breakfast that very same morning.

"You're awake," a gruff voice called from the darkness. "About time."

"Who the hell are you?" Cara called into the darkness, feeling her heart palpitate with fear. Moments later she felt a gust of air rush past her. The stench of cigarettes flooded her senses and she coughed for a moment, wanting to regain some more space within her personal bubble. She was never one to be intimate with others, and any form of close proximity was pushing her boundaries.

Cara shuddered as she felt the man's tongue on her neck, flinching when his teeth scraped against the wound.

"I won't ask you again, _who are you_." This time it wasn't a question. She was adamant about getting an answer, and this was her commanding him to tell her.

"Shhhhhhhh," he whispered, snake-like tongue flicking in and out. "Just let me have one more taste…" His voice drifted off to a mere whisper, hunger and bloodlust stealing away any rational thoughts he may have once had. It didn't help him that she was beautiful, ivory skin and dark brown hair to contrast. Hazel eyes that showed fear yet were strong-willed and full of powerful insight.

It was a shame he'd probably kill her.

* * *

><p>Klaus turned his head abruptly as a scream echoed down the main street. It sounded like a woman's, in pain and in need. Turning his head once more in order to locate in which direction it was coming from, he was relieved yet disappointed to see that it was only a young girl, jumping up and down in her excitement. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Elijah, lips pursed.<p>

"Now, Elijah, I'd quite like to return to my canvas. No offense, brother, but it's much more beautiful than you are."

"I'm afraid not, Niklaus. You see, I've already contacted Marcel and he's on his way as we speak with one of the witches." Unlike Klaus, Elijah had been thinking ahead. Despite the fact that this girl may not be entirely important, the oldest Mikaelson brother had an assiduous feeling that her survival was of the utmost importance.

"You understand my dislike for the witches, brother. I doubt you're foolish enough to intentionally make me angry, so why would you invite one?" The hybrid's eyes narrowed menacingly, ready to use any means necessary to end this nonsense once and for all. What was he doing, mindlessly chasing a mere mortal, utterly mundane girl? She wasn't worth an ounce of his time.

"Now, now, brother, let's not forget that the witches aren't too fond of you either. I can assure you, she is simply here to help." Elijah didn't bother to take the time to correct his younger brother; that it was Marcel, not he, who invited the witch. It wasn't worth the anger and dispute that would result from something Elijah himself deemed trivial. "Speaking of which, there they are now."

Weaving between the disabled vehicles and crowds of anxious bystanders, Marcel emerged, seemingly alone. Soon after though, a young woman marched confidently from the shade of the towering buildings.

Her head was made entirely of flames, red-hot fire licking its way down her shoulders to just above her waist. Her eyes were like the forests back in Mystic Falls, lush and green, but also dark and mysterious, holding many a secret that were being begged to be told.

"Klaus, Elijah." Marcel stated simply, not bothering with formal greetings. After Klaus had overthrown Marcel and taken control of the Quarter, the hybrid, including the rest of his family that were present in New Orleans, had been walking on eggshells around one another.

The tension in the space between the three vampires and the witch grew nearly unbearable, and it was Marcel that spoke once more. "This is Lucida, a self-serving witch from the other side of town." He elaborated no more.

"Self-serving?" The oldest Mikaelson's voice rose in question, still incredibly skeptical, though nothing like his younger brother. Most witches belonged to covens, and it was rare to have one working on their own, and _especially_ rare to have one willing to help the vampires of the city, much less the Original family. Elijah's thoughts paused for a moment. _What is this witch getting in return? What has Marcel said to her?_ As the silence ensued these thoughts plagued his mind and he grew more and more wary of Lucida.

"Meaning she works for herself," she replied in Marcel's stead. She could sense his unease and wanted to make her first impression a lasting one. She didn't want to give too many of her motives away, but she was willing to put on any façade in order to get what she wanted. What she _needed_.

"What do you need?"


End file.
